RGB Lasersystems q stick User manual

User Manual

User Manual
RGB Lasersysteme GmbH
Qstick Spectrometer
Version: 1.0.
Date: November 04, 201
This document is protected by copyright. Do not copy or publish this document or parts
of it without written permission of RGB Lasersysteme GmbH.
Product specifications and descriptions in this manual are subject to change without
notice. RGB Lasersysteme GmbH will not be responsible for errors and omissions in this
manual or for direct or incidental damages in connection with the use of this device or
information.
© 2012 RGB Lasersysteme GmbH
Donaupark 1
9 09 Kelheim
Germany
Telephone: [phone] --- 0
Website: http://www.rgb-laser.com
E-Mail: [email protected]

Contents
1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Product Overview ....................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 System Requirements ............................................................................................................... 2
1. Package Contents....................................................................................................................... 2
2 Installation .........................................................................................................................
2.1 On-board USB memory drive .................................................................................................
2.2 PC Setup ........................................................................................................................................
2. Optical Setup ............................................................................................................................... 4
2.4 Troubleshooting ......................................................................................................................... 4
Operation ........................................................................................................................... 6
.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 6
.2 Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 6
. Taking Spectra ............................................................................................................................. 7
.4 Spectrum Display ....................................................................................................................... 8
.5 Working with spectra ................................................................................................................ 9
.6 File Operations .......................................................................................................................... 10
.7 Spectrum Analysis .................................................................................................................... 11
.8 Absorption, Reflection and Transmission Measurements ........................................... 12
.9 Calibration .................................................................................................................................. 14
4 Software Development Kit ....................................................................................... 18
4.1 Prerequisites .............................................................................................................................. 18
4.2 Getting started .......................................................................................................................... 18
4. Classes Overview ...................................................................................................................... 18
4.4 Adding the SDK library to your project ............................................................................ 19
4.5 Taking a spectrum .................................................................................................................... 20
4.6 Deploying your project .......................................................................................................... 20
5 Technical Support ........................................................................................................ 21
5.1 Getting Help ............................................................................................................................... 21
5.2 Software Updates ..................................................................................................................... 21
6 Specifications ................................................................................................................. 22
7 Certifications and Compliance ................................................................................ 2

Introduction
1
1 Introduction
1.1 Product Overview
The Qstick contains a complete spectrometer in an extraordinarily small USB stick design.
The wavelength range covers the whole visible spectrum from 60 to 740 nm with a
resolution of 1.2 nm. It is controlled and operated by the spectroscopy software ‘‘Waves‘‘,
which not only includes unique sophisticated algorithms for data acquisition and
evaluation, but also provides these features through a clear and straightforward
interface. The Qstick includes an USB flash drive containing the device drivers and
application software.
Qstick Hardware Features
o Subminiature design
o Spectral resolution of 1.2 nm
o 2500 pixel CCD sensor
o Optical input via SMA fiber
o Controlled and powered via USB 2.0
Waves Software Features
o Take and display series of spectra
o Dynamic exposure control with dark spectrum interpolation
o Import most ASCII-based file formats
o Export as ASCII table to almost any numerical analysis software
o Comprehensive tools for displaying and analyzing spectra
o ‘‘Strip charts‘‘ for comparing characteristic values between multiple spectra
including peak follower
o Graph printing and export to PDF
o Dynamic peak finder (no need to set a threshold level)
o Automated wavelength calibration
o Dark spectrum interpolation
o Transmission, Reflection and Absorption measurements
o Colorimetry

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2
Applications
o Portable measurements
o Colorimetry
o Light analysis
o Forensic analysis
o System integration
o Process control and monitoring
1.2 System Requirements
o Windows 8, 7, Vista or XP ( 2 or 64 bit)
o .NET Framework Version .5 (available as a free download)
o USB 2.0
1. Package Contents
o Qstick spectrometer
o Waves spectroscopy software, device driver, and this manual as PDF (on the USB
memory drive included in the device)
o Printed user manual
Visit us at www.rgb-laser.com if you need any accessories for your spectrometer.

Installation
2 Installation
2.1 On-board USB memory drive
The Qstick includes an USB memory drive. When you connect the Qstick to a PC, this
drive appears with a new drive letter in the Windows Explorer. It contains the drivers,
application software and a PDF file of this manual.
2.2 PC Setup
Please install the software by double-clicking on the WavesSetup.exe file on this drive.
The setup package then installs the application software and the device driver.
Afterwards you can start taking spectra with the application software Waves.
The software is tested with 2 and 64 bit versions of Windows 8, 7, Vista and XP. It
requires at least the Microsoft .NET framework version .5, which is already installed on
most PCs. It also works with .NET framework version 4.0. If this framework is not installed,
you can download it from Microsoft’s website.
You can install the software on as many computers as you like. For example, you may
want to install it in the lab for measurements and in your office for further spectrum
analysis. Please visit our website for software updates.
The device driver for the Qstick spectrometer is not fully certified yet. If Windows displays
a warning, please choose to install the driver anyway. (You can be assured that is does
not contain any malicious software.)
The USB port needs to supply an electrical current of 200 mA, so you need to either
connect the spectrometer directly to your computer or to an externally powered USB
hub. A flashing red LED on the device indicated that the port does not supply enough
power.
When you start the Waves software, it automatically searches for the Qstick
spectrometers and, if it finds one, initializes the device. If you attached it just before, it
may take a few seconds before the spectrometer is properly recognized by the operating
system. The initialization takes a couple of seconds during which the software loads the
calibration data from the device.
If the software finds no or several spectrometers while starting, it displays a dialog
window from which you can choose a device or decide to use a ‘‘Simulated
spectrometer’’ instead. This simulated spectrometer can be used to evaluate the software
without connecting an actual device. You can access this dialog window later on by
choosing ‘‘Device Setup’’ from the File menu.

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4
2. Optical Setup
The light enters the Qstick spectrometer through a small slit. You can see this slit if you
look into the fiber optical connector on the front side of the device.
If the light you wish to measure is quite strong, you may simply point the spectrometer
towards it. For example, you can test the spectrometer by pointing it towards your
computer screen or your desk light.
In most cases, however, you’ll need a special optical probe to collect as much light as
possible. In order to guide the light from the probe to the spectrometer, use a fiber
optical cable with SMA connector like the one from the Qstick package.
We recommend standard fiber optical cables with a core diameter of 200 µm and a small
numerical aperture. If you’re using a fiber with a smaller diameter, you’ll get a slightly
better resolution and sensitivity, but you may find it more difficult to focus the light into
the fiber. If you’re using a larger fiber, the spectrometer cannot detect all of the light
coming out of the fiber and the stray light is slightly increased.
PLEASE NOTE: The calibration for the spectral sensitivity correction and the optical
power was made with a 200 µm fiber optical cable. If you use a different fiber or
especially if you just point the spectrometer towards the light source, the measured
spectrum might not be accurate. If you have a calibrated light source, you can always
recalibrate the spectral sensitivity for any optical setup (see chapter .9).
If you focus the light directly onto the entrance slit, you’ll get the best sensitivity and
lowest stray light if you make sure that:
o The focused light is centered on the entrance slit,
o the height of the light spot on the entrance slit is 200 µm or smaller and
o the numerical aperture of your focusing optics is close to 0.07, matching the
numerical aperture of the spectrometer.
If your focusing optics has a larger aperture than 0.07, you loose some intensity inside the
spectrometer. On the other hand, a numerical aperture significantly smaller may lead to a
decrease in resolution.
2.4 Troubleshooting
The green light on the spectrometer is off, the red light is flashing or lit
continuously and the device does not react
This indicates that the device has turned itself off because the USB port was not able to
supply enough power. This also may happen if the USB cable is too long or damaged.
Please disconnect the device and try a different USB port or cable.

Installation
5
Waves cannot find the device
Please disconnect and reconnect your spectrometer, close the ‘‘Device Config’’ window,
wait a few seconds and open this window again from the File menu. If this doesn’t help,
please restart your computer and try again.
Please also check our website www.rgb-laser.com for software updates.
If the software still cannot find the device, you may check the Device Manager in the
Windows Control Panel. Your spectrometer should show up as ‘‘Qstick’’ in the
‘‘Measurement and Control’’ branch. If your spectrometer is marked with an exclamation
or question mark, please remove the device, uninstall the software from the Windows
Control Panel, restart the computer and install the software again.
If your spectrometer is not listed at all in the Device Manager, please try a different USB
port. If the device does not work on one computer, but works on others, the USB port
may not provide enough power for the spectrometer. In this case, you’ll need to use an
externally powered USB hub.
If this doesn’t help either, please contact our Technical Support Team (see chapter 5.1).

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6
Operation
.1 Introduction
Waves was designed from the ground up to provide a clean and straightforward user
interface that does not stand in your way, without compromising advanced features or
precision.
If you are new to spectroscopy, you’ll find it easy to start using the software and taking
spectra without having to worry about details like calibration or dark spectra.
If you already have experience with other spectroscopy software, you’ll notice a few
differences:
o There is just one mode of operation that includes all relevant types of
measurements (absorption, irradiance, scope and so on) through a consistent and
clear interface.
o Waves favors a simple self-explanatory terminology instead of complicated terms
that need to be explained. For example, we use ‘‘Exposure time’’ instead of
‘‘Integration time’’, because the average user doesn’t really know what’s being
integrated here.
o There are no wizards to help you with complicated tasks, because wizards tend to
conceal the actual task. We believe it’s better to make these tasks accessible
through a clear and unified interface, so that you can understand what’s going on.
.2 Overview
When you start Waves, the software searches for an attached Qstick spectrometer. If it
finds one, it automatically initializes it. Afterwards, the software presents the main
window: